Shanghai home-style dishes

Author: Cheng Erman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Shanghai cuisine is traditionally known as Benbang cuisine, which evolved from rural home-style dishes. It is relatively simple and affordable, with a strong emphasis on braising. The flavor is rich and oily, often described as "red oil and red sauce," giving it a homely taste. Since Shanghai was opened as a port in 1843, with the development of commerce and industry, merchants from all over gathered here, leading to the emergence of numerous restaurants and taverns. By the 1930s and 1940s of this century, various local cuisine restaurants flourished.
Shanghai is located in the Jiangnan water region, where aquatic resources are abundant, and vegetables are lush all year round. Situated at a transportation hub, it is convenient to procure specialties from all over the country, providing excellent ingredients and seasonings for the development of Shanghai cuisine. Under these conditions, the once humble Benbang cuisine gradually evolved into the distinctive Shanghai cuisine of today. When it comes to Chinese cuisine, one could say that "Shanghai is where the best food is."